The firm is proud to celebrate two incredible milestones at this year’s Brennan Reception.

Congratulations to Sue Leming on a distinguished tenure as a member of the Executive Board of the Association of the Federal Bar of New Jersey for the past seven years, and completing her term as Immediate Past President. Congratulations also to Alyssa Lott on being sworn in as Trustee of the Association of the Federal Bar of New Jersey!

It was wonderful to see such strong representation from our firm at the Brennan Reception, coming together to honor the legacy of the former Honorable Joel B. Rosen and to support our colleagues in their service to the legal community.

Brown & Connery has commenced its 2026 summer law clerk program and is pleased to welcome this year’s summer law clerks: Jacey Wagner, Murat Ozbay, Janaysia Reese, and Olivia Tarditi.

This year’s class is a dynamic group whose backgrounds reflect a wide array of experience, accomplishments, and service to the community.

• Jacey Wagner is a rising 2L student attending Rutgers Law School. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Rutgers University, Honors College. She is a Rutgers Law Scholarship Recipient and served as the 1L Representative for the Women’s Law Caucus. For her 2L year, she will be staff editor for Rutgers Law Review Journal, a member of the Hunter Moot Court and teaching fellow for LAWR.
• Murat Ozbay is a rising 3L student attending Rutgers Law School. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Rowan University. He serves as a Staff Editor for the Rutgers University Law Review and a Student Leader for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program. He also participates in the Hunter Moot Court Appellate Advocacy Program and Wizmur Pro Bono Bankruptcy Project.
• Janaysia Reese is a rising 3L student attending Seton Hall University School of Law. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Marketing from Montclair State University. She is a Legal Education Opportunity (LEO) Fellow, Mentor, and Spotlight Recipient. She serves as a Research Assistant and is a Black Law Student Association Diversity Banquet and Garden State Bar Association Scholarship Recipient.
• Olivia Tarditi is a rising 2L student attending Rutgers Law School. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in History and English from the University of Greenwich (London, UK) and Master of Science in International Public Policy from University College London (London, UK). She is the Social Media Chair for the Italian American Law Student Association and a member of the Association of Public Interest, First Generation Law Student Association, and Women’s Law Caucus. She also participates in the International Refugee Assistance and Domestic Violence Pro Bono Projects. For her 2L year, Olivia will be a Staff Editor of the Rutgers International Law and Human Rights Journal and a Legal Writing Teaching Fellow.

Founded in 1928, Brown & Connery is among the oldest and most well-established law firms in Southern New Jersey. Several of the firm’s current attorneys previously participated in the firm’s summer law clerk program.

Partners Gina M. Roswell and William F. Cook were recently selected to serve as Blue Ribbon Panelists for the new Blue Ribbon Settlement Program in the Camden County Superior Court, Civil Division.  The Blue Ribbon Settlement Program is a new joint initiative between the Judiciary and the Camden County Bar Association to foster settlement of pending civil cases.  Panelists are selected based on their years of civil practice and their extensive experience appearing in Camden County.  In serving as Blue Ribbon Panelists, Ms. Roswell and Mr. Cook were able to resolve several complex cases involving personal injury.  At the firm, Ms. Roswell represents individuals, public entities, commercial entities, and international corporations in complex commercial and employment disputes, product liability claims, subrogation actions and personal injury matters.  Mr. Cook is a certified Civil Trial Attorney and concentrates his practice in civil trial and appellate litigation in various areas, including civil rights and discrimination, public entity liability, insurance coverage, commercial litigation, and employment-related claims.

Brown & Connery is pleased to announce that Louis R. Lessig was honored as a co-recipient of the Honorable Peter J. Devine, Jr. Award by the Camden County Bar Association (CCBA) on April 23, 2026 for his outstanding contributions to the CCBA and the broader community. Named after the late Judge Devine, the award represents the CCBA’s highest honor. Mr. Lessig served as CCBA President in 2011-2012 and Foundation President in 2013-2014. He previously served as Chair of the Budget & Finance Committee, Labor & Employment Law Committee, Membership Committee, Nominating Committee, and Young Lawyers Committee and as a member of the Program Committee and Public Benefits Committee. Mr. Lessig is a frequent speaker and/or moderator for the CCBA’s continuing legal education programs. Mr. Lessig is a partner at the firm and concentrates his practice in labor and employment, counseling, litigation, negotiations, and training.

Let’s hear it for our Brown & Connery 2026 Participants of the

EAGLES AUTISM CHALLENGE

held at Lincoln Financial Field on May 9, 2026.

Brown & Connery was a proud sponsor and had four

B&C Team Players participate

(Katherine Ray, Jennifer Evans, Madison Rupert & Amy Gilliss)

The ninth annual challenge raised more than $16 million for autism research, with 6,832 participants

and nearly 40,000 donations coming from around the world.  This event has raised $56 million since it began in 2018.

WAY TO GO BROWN & CONNERY!!!

Brown & Connery is pleased to announce that six of its attorneys have been selected for inclusion on the 2026 New Jersey Super Lawyers and Rising Stars lists. Each year, no more than 5% of practicing attorneys in New Jersey are selected to the Super Lawyers list and no more than 2.5% are selected to the Rising Stars list. The Brown & Connery attorneys recognized as Super Lawyers and Rising Stars in 2026 include:

• Louis R. Lessig, Partner—Employment & Labor, Super Lawyer
• Michele G. Haas, Counsel – Workers’ Compensation, Super Lawyer
• Alyssa I. Lott, Associate—Employment & Labor, Rising Star
• Kayla L. Louis, Associate—Employment Litigation Defense, Rising Star
• Margaret E. McHugh, Associate – Employment & Labor, Rising Star
• Madison T. Rupert, Associate—Workers’ Compensation, Rising Star

The 2026 New Jersey Super Lawyers publication may be found in its entirety at the following link: Super Lawyers – New Jersey 2026

Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters company, recognizes the top attorneys nationwide, across a variety of practice areas and firm sizes, using a “patented multiphase selection process” consisting of peer nominations and evaluations and independent research. A description of the complete selection process and methodology may be found at the following link: https://www.superlawyers.com/about/selection-process/. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.

Brown & Connery was pleased to serve as a silver sponsor for the New Jersey Women Lawyer Association’s 18^th Annual WILL Platinum Gala celebrating 20 years of the Association’s revitalization, which was held on March 18, 2026. The Gala honored individuals in the judicial, public, corporate, and private law firm sectors whose work has contributed to the advancement of women in the legal profession. Brown & Connery attorneys Michele Haas, who serves as the Co-Chief Operating Officer for the Association, and Emma Caira were grateful to attend the Gala and connect with so many incredible individuals in the legal community and celebrate the honorees. Ms. Haas and Ms. Caira concentrate their practice in the defense of workers’ compensation matters.

Brown & Connery attorneys Nayomi Torres-Velez and Gabriela Casal Aste attended the Hispanic Bar Association of New Jersey’s 2026 Women’s Empowerment Leadership & Law Conference on March 7, 2026. The Conference focuses on empowering and inspiring women to flourish in leadership positions within the legal profession and beyond.  Ms. Torres-Velez concentrates her practice in labor and employment. Ms. Casal Aste concentrates her practice in commercial litigation.

Brown & Connery is pleased to announce that William T. Freeman, Esquire, will be presenting at the NJICLE seminar, “Back to Basics: The Fundamental Building Blocks for a Strong Workers’ Compensation Practice” on February 25, 2026 from 1-4pm. The seminar will focus on the essential procedural steps for managing workers’ compensation claims effectively. For more information about this course or to register, please visit https://njsba.com/product/back-to-basics-the-fundamental-building-blocks-for-a-strong-workers-compensation-practice/. Mr. Freeman is a partner at the firm and leader of the workers’ compensation defense group.

Partner, Louis R. Lessig, Esquire was a speaker at the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) 2026 Annual Conference in Las Vegas.  He presented on “Workplace Retaliation: Recognizing Risk and Responding Right.” During the session Louis discussed the challenges companies in the automotive industry face in regard to employment retaliation and provided options for organizations to proactively address this growing economic issue impacting their respective balance sheets.